Head of Paid Media

The Somerset Inn

Head of Paid Media developing and executing TikTok ad strategies for Somerce's brands. Building a team and leading paid media strategy to drive GMV growth.

Posted 6/29/2026full-timeManchester • 🇬🇧 United KingdomLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

**What You’ll Do**
**Paid Media Strategy & Ownership**
- Own paid media strategy across Somerce's client portfolio on TikTok and connected channels
- Define how paid is used to accelerate GMV - not just drive traffic, but drive commercial outcomes
- Build scalable paid frameworks that integrate with trading strategy, affiliate activity and live commerce
- Stay ahead of TikTok's ad product developments, algorithm changes and platform best practices
- Set the internal standard for how paid campaigns are planned, executed and reported
**Campaign Planning & Execution**
- Lead end-to-end campaign management across TikTok Ads, including:
- TikTok Shop Ads across all formats
- Retargeting and audience strategy
- Live commerce ad amplification
- Plan budgets, bid strategies and campaign structures to maximise return on ad spend
- Align paid activity tightly to trading calendars, promotional moments and product launches
- Work closely with the content team to ensure creative assets are built for paid performance
**Creative & Audience Strategy**
- Lead creative strategy for paid - knowing what hooks, formats and messages convert on TikTok
- Build structured testing frameworks across creative, audiences and placements
- Translate performance data into clear creative briefs that the content team can act on
- Identify winning creative quickly and scale it; cut what isn't working without hesitation
**Performance & Reporting**
- Own ROAS, CPA, CPM and GMV targets across your client portfolio
- Monitor campaign performance daily and make real-time optimisation decisions
- Lead paid performance reviews with clients - backed by clear data and forward-looking recommendations
- Forecast paid media contribution to GMV and flag variances early
- Use attribution data intelligently, accounting for TikTok's role across the full funnel
**Team Leadership**
- Build and lead a team of Paid Media Managers and Executives
- Set clear standards for campaign quality, pacing and reporting
- Develop your team's skills across strategy, execution and client communication
- Review client-facing work before it goes out - ownership sits with you
**How You'll Work**
- Fast-paced, high-ownership environment
- Minimal bureaucracy, maximum accountability
- You're expected to be across the numbers, ahead of the platform and clear with clients
- This is a role for someone who is serious about paid performance and wants to lead it properly

Requirements

What you’ll need

**Essential**
- Proven experience owning paid media strategy and execution at a senior level
- Strong hands-on knowledge of TikTok Ads Manager and TikTok Shop ad products
- Track record of delivering ROAS and GMV targets, not just traffic metrics
- Deep understanding of creative performance on TikTok - what works and why
- Comfortable managing significant media budgets across multiple client accounts
- Experience managing and developing a paid media team
- Highly data-literate - you live in dashboards and make fast, confident decisions
**Desirable**
- Experience at a social commerce or performance agency
- Background in beauty, fashion, lifestyle or FMCG paid media
- Familiarity with TikTok Shop-specific ad formats including GMV Max and VSA
- Experience integrating paid strategy with affiliate, live commerce or organic content

Benefits

Comp & perks

**Core Benefits**
- Competitive salary, benchmarked to experience and performance
- Performance-related bonus aligned to commercial impact
- 28 days holiday + bank holidays
- Hybrid working with offices in London and Manchester
- Flexible working hours - we care about output, not clock-watching
**Growth & Career Development**
- Lead the paid function at one of the UK's leading TikTok Shop agencies
- Regular performance reviews focused on development and impact
- Direct exposure to high-growth brands across the UK, US and EU
- Opportunity to shape how paid integrates with the full Somerce offering as we scale
**Financial & Lifestyle Perks**
- Company pension scheme
- Monthly wellness allowance (gym, fitness, mental wellbeing or similar)
- Team socials and events throughout the year
- Staff discounts across our brands and partners
**Work Environment**
- Fast-paced, high-ownership culture
- Minimal bureaucracy and maximum accountability
- Surrounded by people who care about performance, creativity and doing things properly
- A business that wins with its clients - shared success matters
**The Somerce Difference**
- We trust our people
- We move quickly and back good ideas
- You'll have real influence over one of our most commercially critical channels
- If you perform, you'll grow - simple as that

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Paid Media StrategyCampaign ManagementCreative Performance AnalysisBudget ManagementAudience StrategyPerformance ReportingAttribution AnalysisTesting FrameworksReal-Time OptimizationData-Driven Decision Making

Soft Skills

Client CommunicationTeam LeadershipFast Decision MakingCreative Problem SolvingAccountability